August veterans’ tribute could yet be enhanced

Guelph Mercury

In 1956, the City of Guelph unofficially began what would lead to an inspired policy idea that would see war veterans from the city honoured by their municipality and recalled in a fitting way for years to come.

That year, the city honoured Guelph’s most famous war veteran native — Col. John McCrae — by naming McCrae Boulevard in his honour.

That helped serve as impetus to the municipality considering and implementing a policy in 1990 to name 60 per cent of new streets in the city after veterans. In 2000, that policy was revisited so that three-quarters of all new city streets are named after such citizens who offered such service.

It has been and continues to be a wonderful move and development in this community. It makes prominent, in a compelling manner, the identities of these heroes that might otherwise be known and recognized by much fewer people in their hometowns for their great sacrifices.

So far, Guelph has 133 streets named after its veterans, with another 65 veteran surnames approved for future use in this regard.

Perhaps the city could go even further in this tribute. Wouldn’t it be terrific if a publicly accessible database about these veterans could be built to enhance the community’s ability to identify with these people and where, where and how they served? If such a collection could be developed, it could even offer veteran-specific access at the street sign posts carrying veterans’ names through QR codes or other technology.

It’s imperative that we honour the sacrifices of Canada’s veterans and appreciate what they have earned for us through our observances during Remembrance Week such as wearing poppies and engaging in a moment of silence and reflection each Nov. 11.

But cities and citizens who do even more to salute and celebrate veterans are well invested.

Guelph’s veterans street-naming policy is a great idea that other cities should consider. If the program could be enhanced, that would be even more so the case.